Contest by Old Names

Former Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda announced his intention to run for the leader’s election of the Constitutional Democratic Party on September 23. Former Head of the CDP and former Chief Cabinet Secretary Yukio Edano has already announced his intention to run for it. Although incumbent Head Kenta Izumi has not officially announced his bid for reelection, it is possible that the race will not be contested by fresh people but by old faces.

“I have made up my mind to challenge to be a prime minister,” said Noda to the press in front of JR Tsudanuma station, where he has been making speeches to the voters from the days of his freshman as the Diet member. His hope was running for the leader’s election of the CDP, grabbing a victory in it, leading the CDP to defeat ruling Liberal Democratic Party and sit on the seat of the prime minister. It will be a long way.

 

Noda raised cooperation among the opposition parties as the top priority in his campaign. “The biggest target is to push the LDP to fall in short of simple majority in the Diet. Since the CDP will not be able to reach the majority, we need to maintain a situation in which we can talk about cooperation with other opposition parties,” said Noda. He indicated further cooperation with the Democratic Party for the People (DPP) or Japan Innovation Party (Nippon Ishin-no Kai).

 

Noda is known as the last prime minister of administration of the Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ). Because of his abrupt decision of having a snap election in November, 2012, the DPJ handed over its administration to the LDP. Noda has been criticized of his short-tempered decision and avoided exercising his leadership in the JCP and CDP. “My mission would be paving the way to take the administration back,” said Noda.

 

Noda explained his running for the CDP leader as promoting political reform which would not be achieved by the LDP administration. Restoring middle-class is the core of his economic policy.

 

To distinguish the CDP from the LDP, Noda needs to show the freshness of possible CDP administration. While dismissing his bid for the CDP leader, Noda reiterated that old names should not run for the leader. He also achieved endorsement from an old kingmaker, Ichiro Ozawa. Noda faces a contradiction that an old name of former prime minister is running for the leader’s election.

 

In the announcement for CDP leader’s bid, Edano appealed a necessity to get rid of old politics led by the LDP. However, it is true that he can be counted as a leader in the past. Backed by the biggest policy group in the CDP, there is an aspect in Edano’s campaign supported by a sort of factional politics, which received broad criticisms in the LDP’s slush fund scandal.

 

If the race is led by Noda and Edano, the CDP will have to show how fresh future administration of the party can be.

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